


Peter Pan

by jeogiyonoona (Himelda_Window)



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Fast Food, Flirting, M/M, McDonald's, Still Can't Tag, Strangers to Lovers, The tagged chars are the only ones with dialogue, bless him, changbin works at mcd's and hyunjin is persistent, everyone else is just mentioned, i guess?, rated for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 18:09:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20050339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Himelda_Window/pseuds/jeogiyonoona
Summary: Changbin doesn't hate his job, not really.  It's just not very interesting.  Until he shows up.





	Peter Pan

**Author's Note:**

> I AM BACK. wow it's been a hot minute hasn't it. so yes i am back!!! Most of this was written late at night so please spare me  
thanks to elie for actually reading this hot mess and helping me out!!  
this is my first skz fic, so please ,, be nice

Changbin liked his job well enough. I mean sure, it wasn’t fantastic. Sometimes he just wanted to introduce a customer to his dear friend Felix.

Felix had a deceptively sweet face, though his personality was just as angelic. He took pride in being a talented dancer, but dance was far from the only thing the younger boy was good at. He enjoyed rapping like Changbin, but was interested in more physical hobbies. To put it simply, the boy was solidly built.

Changbin’s off topic. The point is, though sometimes he wants people to meet the business end of his friend’s fists, most of the time Changbin enjoys what he does. Some days he’s working in the back, fast and sharp while others he gets to chat with customers all day. Those days are his favourite. He could do without the non-stop heat and business of working up front.

Though, Changbin figures, that is how he met him for the first time.

Chan had just told everyone they were backed up to the highway, and the whole building was in full gear. Jae, relaxed as ever, was making sure orders were being put together quickly and correctly. Jisung was bouncing around behind him, throwing meat down as fast as he could to keep up with the demand while Jeongin was toasting buns according to Jae’s instructions. Wonpil and Seungmin manned the other side, working in sync at an incredibly fast pace. Behind them was a laser focused Minho, listening for the sound of incoming orders to put him back to work.

Dancing around the front were Woojin and Chan with Dowoon trailing about the eating area. Younghyun was somewhere in the back, taking orders, and in the little alcove next to Changbin were two people whose names he hadn’t bothered remembering.

In the midst of it all was Changbin, working to the best of his abilities. Customers got frustrated if they had to wait too long for their julienned potatoes. Sometimes, when it got busy like this, they’d send him outside. They sent Dowoon too, or just went on their own. But if Dowoon was gone and they were busy, Changbin got to take a quick break to deliver someone’s food outside.

In the winter, when he was overheating, it was a blessing. In the summer, when it was easily just as hot outside? Not so much.

“Changbin, can you run this for me?” Chan didn’t wait for an answer as he turned back to the screen in front of him, grabbing what he needed and placing it on a tray. He turned around again to face the counter. “Now serving guest 118!”

Changbin finished making his fry and grabbed the paper bag off of the counter. As he rounded the counter, he read the characters scribbled on the receipt. Walking out the door, he heard a bell ding. Dowoon must be back.

As soon as Changbin stepped outside, he began searching for the correct license plate. The shorter nameless co-worker must have written it down because it was actually legible. 

It wasn’t long before he spotted the car. It was small, but looked new and expensive. Changbin prayed that the driver wasn’t going to be an asshole about having to wait. They did that sometimes. It was never Changbin’s fault they had to wait, but they didn’t seem to care and would occasionally spit out curses at him anyway.

This time was different, however. When Changbin arrived at the driver’s side, the man rolled his window down before accepting the food that Changbin was holding out for him. He looked about his age, maybe a bit younger, and that hurt more than a little. See, Changbin had been an aspiring rapper and author in high school. When that didn’t work out as he had hoped, he ended up here, with a minimum wage job and no clear future. He didn’t hate his job, but he felt behind. So when he saw the man in the expensive looking car, he took a hit.

Still, he smiled as he was trained to. “Thank you for being so patient, sir.” 

The stranger took the food with a slightly surprised smile. “Seo Changbin?” he asked. Shit, he knew him. That always made it a million times worse.

“Yes, that’s me.” Changbin let out an awkward laugh and waited for the ground to swallow him up. He usually didn’t hate it this much, but there was something about the stranger that set him on edge.

“Did it hurt?” 

Now Changbin was lost. What could he possibly be talking about?

“I’m sorry?”

“When you fell from heaven. Did it hurt?” 

Realization slowly dawned on him. This stranger had no sense of boundaries or shame. He was just shamelessly flirting with him. Sometimes receiving compliments at work made him happy, but there was a difference between a child complimenting his hair or style and a grown man dropping a bad pickup line. Once the situation finally settled in Changbin’s mind, he reacted,

“Enjoy your food,” he said, fake cheer and an equally false smile directed at the stranger before Changbin made his way back inside.

As soon as Changbin arrived, Chan called his name again. He grabbed the bag off the counter and headed back out.

Changbin didn’t hear a word from the stranger for at least a week. He kept going about his shifts, sometimes spending hours on end putting his unassuming, but muscular frame to work. Sometimes he was working in the back again, directing everyone despite not being a manager. Overall his days were peaceful. Nothing to worry about outside of general work stress. No random strangers hitting on him. His life was comfortable and familiar. Of course, it wouldn’t last forever.

The second time Changbin saw the stranger, he was out in the dining area cleaning tables and taking out garbage. He was sweeping the floor when he heard a voice from behind him.

“Ah, Changbin! How nice to see you again.” Damn it. He’d only met the man once, but he recognized the voice instantly. It was the stranger.

“Hello sir. Is there anything I can do for you?” The instant grin on the man’s face told Changbin he’d made a mistake. 

“Yes, actually. You could let me take you out to a nice restaurant for dinner.” 

As soon as he finished his line, Changbin walked away. He didn’t need to entertain his annoying advances. He certainly wasn’t attracted to him in the slightest. He didn’t know anything about Changbin and yet he kept throwing his lines out as if they’d make Changbin fall for him.

Changbin did feel kind of sorry for him, though. The endless and unprompted pick up lines didn’t really come across as confident and carefree. More along the lines of pathetic desperation. But Changbin knew where he was coming from. He had plenty of time to get comfortable with being alone in his short life.

Changbin really needed to stop going on tangents. It probably wasn’t healthy.

The point here was that Changbin would not, under any circumstances, accept the advances. No matter how many times he tried.

And he definitely tried. 

He called Changbin pet names whenever he was able to, along with the cheesiest, worst pickup lines Changbin had ever heard. One day he was calling his shirt ‘boyfriend material’, and a week later he asked for directions to Changbin’s heart. He called Changbin a work of art, an angel, and a whole score of other things. He refused to accept Changbin’s rejection every single time.

He didn’t bring it up with his co-workers for a long time, but one day he was working in the back when the stranger arrived at the front counter. He rapidly switched positions with Jeongin, reading the screen and putting the buns in the toaster. He did his best to hide from the stranger until he got his food, ignoring the weird looks from Jisung. Jae would have probably teased him about it but he wasn’t there at the time. However, that didn’t stop Jisung from bombarding him with questions as soon as he had the chance. When the random rush died down, he grabbed a cloth and idly chatted as he steamed his grill. Changbin moved back to the end of the assembly line with a cloth of his own, wiping up all of the lettuce and grease that had made its way to their table. Jeongin blinked at him for a moment before going back to the toaster and cleaning his side before going to grab things out of the fridge.

“So,” Jisung began with a smile as soon as their younger friend walked away. “You’re hiding from a customer, Binnie. May I ask why?”

“No.” Changbin didn’t hesitate. “No, you may not ask why.”

“Aw, do you have a crush? Do you think he’s cute?” Jisung drags out the vowels teasingly. He’s damn lucky they’re at work. In a different environment, he would have gotten a slap for that. The look on his face tells Changbin that Jisung is well aware of that.

“You want the story?” Changbin asks eventually. It’s usually easier to just give Jisung what he wants.

“Yes! Spill, now.”

“He keeps hitting on me. I find it sad and annoying. I was trying to avoid another terrible pick up line.” Jisung’s face slowly drops. “Satisfied?”

“Yeah,” Jisung answers distractedly. “Sorry, Bin. I’ll leave you be about it for now.”

Changbin is thoroughly confused. Jisung never drops an opportunity to tease him that easily. He doesn’t get the chance to ask, because Jeongin comes back and then Chan tells him to sweep.

Changbin doesn’t see the stranger for a long time after that. He assumed that he found a better fast food place to eat at. He’s not too disappointed, but he was also hoping to see how he felt about their new promotions. He forgets to ask Jisung about it, so life continues as it did before.

Or it does, until it’s been three months and Changbin finds himself actively missing the stranger. Wishing he was around when Changbin is stuck cleaning and missing his horrible lines. Maybe he misses the ego boost more. He’s not really sure. He tries to ask Felix about it, but the younger man only suggests that somewhere in his mind, Changbin is actually attracted to the stranger.

Which is totally ridiculous. Yes, on some basic level, the stranger is attractive. But that doesn’t mean Changbin is attracted to him. Just that, objectively, he’s good looking. 

His laugh has nothing to do with it and neither does his smile. His ambitions are objectively admirable but Changbin is not looking to date anyone. He does not need a boyfriend. Changbin is not attracted to the pretty stranger. Objectively pretty.

Fuck.

So what if Changbin is interested? It doesn’t matter because just like every other guy he’s liked, the stranger is probably straight. Except he probably isn’t, Changbin realizes. Memories of bad pick up lines float around an annoyingly accurate picture of the stranger in his head. He’s available, attainable, attractive, and interested in Changbin. He checks all the boxes.

Fuck.

Changbin goes in the next day in a bit of a panic. Thankfully Jisung starts at the same time as he does, because it means Changbin can pull him aside to talk about his feelings.

“Jisung I changed my mind. He isn’t sad or annoying anymore, he’s beautiful and I miss him and his pick up lines.” 

It all comes out at once and it leaves Changbin panting. He watches as Jisung’s face first displays his shock, before running through a mess of other emotions. He notices happiness, excitement, satisfaction, and many other half-present emotions before it settles into neutrality. 

“What would you like me to do about that, Changbin? Do you want a pat on the back for realizing that you do in fact want to date the man you’ve been rejecting for months?” Changbin hits him for his tone.

“No,” he snaps. “You implied that you know him. I want to know who he is.” Jisung just shakes his head and Changbin groans. “You were making fun of me for avoiding him but now you won’t even tell me his name?”

“Nope!” the younger man chirps with a grin. “Here’s a concept,” he adds after a long pause. “Ask him when you see him next.” Changbin groans again before heading upstairs, hearing Jisung giggling behind him.

As it turns out, Changbin won’t have to wait that long. A little after the lunch rush ends, Woojin sends Changbin to cover Dowoon’s dining room. He isn’t out there for five minutes when a familiar voice speaks up from behind him.

“Hello, Changbin. I’m a thief, and I’m here to steal your heart.”

Table marker in hand, Changbin spins around so quickly he almost falls over. The only reason he doesn’t is because the beautiful stranger reaches out to steady him. A bright blush spreads across his face, but Changbin powers through because he’s here. He came back and Changbin has something to tell him.

“You, uh.” He coughs. There goes being smooth. “You don’t have to steal it.” Changbin can’t bring himself to look the other man in the eyes.

He only lets out a small laugh. “What are you saying, Changbin?:

“My heart. You don’t have to steal it. It’s already yours.” He mumbles the last sentence, trying to avoid as much embarrassment as possible.

“What was that last part? I couldn’t quite hear you.” Clearly the stranger is not going to let him off easy.

“I like you, okay? You and your cute smile, and your laugh that’s music to my ears, and your impressive ambitions. You and your great sense of humour, and your dedication, and how you persevered when you kept getting rejected. I like you.”

Finally the look of fake confusion falls away. It isn’t replaced with a look of smug satisfaction like Changbin expects, though. Just a soft, loving smile.

“I know,” he admits with an equally soft laugh.

“What?” the word tumbles out of Changbin’s mouth rather plainly. “How? What? What do you mean you know? How do you already know how I feel when I only figured it out myself last night?”

He lets out another soft laugh. “Jisung told me a few hours ago. Probably right before you started work?”

Okay. That answered one question. But if left a bigger one still unanswered. “How do you know Jisung?”

“Seo Changbin,” he began as if scolding a small child. “Do you really not have any idea who I am?”

Changbin did his best to thing back into his past for someone who may know Jisung, but he came up empty. He shook his head slowly, walking over to the front to deposit the number he was still holding. He’d forgotten all about it in the moment, but at the reminder that this man knew Changbin, he got the urge to work as they spoke.

“You’re a year older than me. We went to high school together and I always thought you were cool then, but we never spoke. We were rarely partnered in class and didn’t ever become friends. In the summer after you graduated, you went to a theatre camp in town.”

Changbin remembered going to camp. He wanted to try to get a little more comfortable on stage as well as wanting to further his singing skills, so going to a camp at their theatre for the musical session just made sense to him. He really enjoyed it and it helped him improve in many ways. Was the stranger there too?

“I was there, yes. That’s where I really got to see how amazing you are. That isn’t how I know Jisung, though. We both go to art classes, and I hang out at the bookstore a lot. Sometimes we sit there and I sketch his poetry.”

Changbin stood there for a minute, wiping down a table. Who spent time at the bookstore, did musical theatre, sketched with Jisung, and also went to high school with him? He’d been to Jisung’s art class once, but didn’t remember seeing any familiar faces. Though he couldn’t recall any of the theatre kids, either. If he really tried, he could half-picture one of them. When he looked up and added a few years, allowing for some change, he immediately realized who was in front of him.

“Hyunjin? Hwang Hyunjin? Peter Pan?” His smile said it all.

All of a sudden, the memories came flooding back. Goofing off when Wendy was doing her scenes at home, and during the breaks between the intense scenes that Hyunjin’s Peter Pan and Changbin’s Captain Hook shared. Talking on the phone, practicing together outside of camp. They were close, but drifted very quickly afterwards. Changbin wasn’t sure why, but now he knew he was sure of one thing - he wasn’t letting go of Hyunjin.

“So,” Hyunjin said with a smile. Changbin didn’t let him say anything.

“My shift ends at 5. Come find me then so we can go to that meal you offered me a while back. Then we can go from there.”

Hyunjin just gave him another smile. “Okay. I’ll be back around then.” He paused, seemingly thinking. “See you, Bin.”

“I will be eagerly awaiting your arrival, Hyunjin.”

It was then that Dowoon came back, sending Changbin back into the kitchen. His shift moved agonizingly slowly, but it was worth it. Downstairs, as he changed, he was able to hit Jisung for being such a little shit. When he went upstairs, Hyunjin was there, looking beautiful as always, just waiting to sweep him off his feet.

**Author's Note:**

> "It all comes out at once and it leaves Changbin panting." like Hyunjin would.  
i'm not sorry.  
this fic was the cause of chnagbin, hyunjim, and ounghyun. please remember them
> 
> twt- himemallow   
cc- multi_hime


End file.
